Sonny Bill Williams interested in Toronto Wolfpack move

Toronto Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott says dual-code New Zealand international Sonny Bill Williams has shown an interest in the club.

Williams, 34, won the NRL with Canterbury in 2004 ad has gone on to forge a fine dual-code career, winning the Rugby World Cup twice with the All Blacks, as well as returning to rugby league to win the NRL and World Club Challenge with Sydney Roosters.

McDermott said: “Sonny Bill Williams has shown interest in us and that’s what it is at the moment.

“He’s currently busy with the World Cup so I wouldn’t ever dare to suggest that he is more than interested in coming but the answer wasn’t a ‘no’ once we made contact so that’s something we’d like to follow up.

“Our club would want to have a name that’s absolutely international that everybody would recognise and help the profile of our game, very much like David Beckham did for Major League Soccer.

“But he would have to be a very good player as well, he’s got to be able to do the job that I want him to do. There would be no token player or just a headline-grabbing player.

“So, whoever it may be, you go mention the five highest-profile rugby players – league or union – around the world and we’d be interested and our club would get those.

“David Argyle will resource each one of those signings.”

McDermott says they have identified four players that they want to sign – a prop, an outside back, a back-rower and a hooker.

They are due to report back for pre-season on November 10 following their promotion to Super League.